CATCH was a gentle, lion-hearted giant who was a beloved member of our family.  He was the inseparable partner of our dog, Keena, who I adopted from the shelter in 2001.  It didn't take Catch long to realize that he had finally found his home on our Farm.  He loved running through the fields, playing with Keena, chasing off the coyotes, and protecting our family.  He loved to sunbathe in the pumpkin patch, content to lie quietly next to me, and to ride in the back of our pickup with Keena, his head out the window of the topper and his ears streaming in the wind.

Catch left this world on August 11, 2009, secure in my arms and confident of my love as he passed to the next world.  I grieve the loss of him terribly, as does Keena, but we know he is no longer suffering from aching joints and failing hearing.  I can picture him running pain-free in the heavens and know he is finally at peace.

The picture was taken the day before he died.  He is lying quietly on our deck in one of his favorite "sun-bathing" spots, his beautiful golden eyes watching me.

I will never forget this amazing creature that God sent to be a part of our family.  I am so grateful for the time we had with him.